Cuomo Takes Budget Appeal On-Line

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is covering all his bases in his effort to enlist New Yorkers in his budget battle. On the heels of his Web video and in-person appearances outside Albany this week, he is sending supporters an e-mail asking them to join him standing up to the special interests.

The e-mail is not a fundraising appeal (although he did send out one of those, too, in advance of his budget address last Tuesday).

Rather, it includes a link that leads to his political Website, andrewcuomo.com, where supporters can view his video and sign up to “join Governor Cuomo and build a better New York.”

Here’s the full text of Cuomo’s e-mail, which was forwarded by a reader (interestingly, it speaks in very general terms about the budget and “realigning” spending, but makes no mention of the deep education and health care cuts, which opponents say will lead to service reductions):

My Fellow New Yorkers,

Your support in the campaign was instrumental to our victory last November. I want to thank you once again for the faith and trust you have placed in me.

I promised in the campaign to clean up Albany, get our state’s fiscal house in order, and rebuild our economy to create jobs.

On Tuesday, I submitted my Executive Budget, which sets us on the path to the change we need. The budget is designed to eliminate a $10 billion deficit without raising taxes or borrowing. It realigns our spending with our state’s economic situation and is the first step in redesigning and reinventing our government based on the principles of quality and efficiency. It will give control of our state back to the people

The fight to change Albany and the budget will not be easy. The special interests that have controlled Albany for decades will resist change. There are billions of dollars at stake. The system has worked well for them and they will fight to keep the status quo.

I will need your help if we are going to make the kinds of changes that will be required to save our state. I need citizens like you to stand up and let your voice be heard in the State Capitol and in your home town.

Click here to join me and tens of thousands of other New Yorkers in this fight. Together, we can seize this moment to begin building a better New York for us all.